Page 381 - Neglected Arabia (1911-1915) Vol II

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gage on the uacks of five donkeys. We three mounted on top of the
luggage and off we set for Rafah. our fist stop some nine miles from
Menamah. Here we found the sheikh very cordial, indeed, keeping
us one day longer than we had intended to stay there. While there he
gave us the use of an empty house and the court, where we pitched
our tent. The tent served for a multitude of purposes, as sleeping,
cooking, eating and dispensing quarters. We found the people very
friendly, too much so at times, as they would be upon us before we had
time to get up and make our toilet in the morning, from that time until
we went to bed we always had spectators. They all wanted to see how
the Xasranees ate and lived.

Rafah is on a high rockly hill in the middle of the island. There
is absolutely no vegetation here except in the two small gardens about
the two sweet-water wells. These wells are the wonder of the island,
for they are sweet-water wells, while all of the other wells are more or
less (mostly more) salty. These wells are cut out of solid rock to a depth
of 150 feet and they are perhaps 20 feet across. This was a tremendous
feat for the Arabs to perform with their simple home-made tools. The
deepest well is so crooked that the water can be seen from but one point
at the top of the well.

We stayed here four days, preaching and treating the sick, and Mr. :
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Van Peursem also spent two days with us. The sheikh allowed us to
preach even in his audience-room and in his presence, and the Gospel
sales were very good.
s
From Rafah we went to Jau. a sea-coast town about 10 or 20 miles
from Rafah. Here the people are all pearl-divers and fisher folk. They
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live wholly by this work. The nearest vegetation is about 8 miles away, I
and the nearest drinking water about five miles from the town. Here
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they do not count the size of the town by so many people or by so
many houses, but by so many diving-boats. We pitched our tent by
the seashore near where the men were repairing their boats and water 1
tanks for the diving season. When I sought permission to pitch our !
tent and stay a few days, the head man said, "I don’t see any sick for i :
you to treat, if God wills there are none. But if you really want to \
stop here a few days I don’t know as it will do any harm. We found I
lots of illness, both physical and spiritual. We found also much oppo­
sition, nevertheless there were many chances to preach the Gospel.

From Jau we made excursions to Askar and Dour, both fishing
towns. Dour is the last town on the island to the south. ie is an
extends some miles farther than this place, but the land is barren and i
absolutely uninhabited. These places have never been visited bv mis­ i
sionaries before, except once some ten or twelve years ago. when tne !
natives sav that thev were visited by Dr. Zwemer The people here
differ but very little'from those in other places on the island »till they
may be a little more ignorant and fanatical. Here, too. ie * r
are only on pearls and women. We preached and read to them, b
cannot say that our message was received with jov.

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